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Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways To New Italy - Sub PopAfter years spent looking out at landscapes and loved ones and an increasingly unstable world, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have turned their gaze inward, to their individual pasts and the places that inform them, on their second full-length, Sideways To New Italy. Led by singer-songwriter-guitarists Tom Russo, Joe White and Fran Keaney, the guitar-pop five-piece returned home to Australia after the relentless touring schedule that came following their critically regarded 2018 debut Hope Downs. Feeling the literal and metaphorical ground under their feet had shifted, the band began grasping for something reliable. For Keaney, that translated into writing "pure romantic fiction" and consciously avoiding the temptation of angsty break-up songs, while Russo looked north to a "bizarre place" that captured the feeling of manufacturing a sense of home when his own had disappeared. The New Italy of the new album’s title is a village near New South Wales’ Northern Rivers – the area drummer Marcel Tussie is from. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it pit-stop of a place with fewer than 200 residents, it was founded by Venetian immigrants in the late-1800s and now serves as something of a living monument to Italians' contribution to Australia, with replica Roman statues dotted like alien souvenirs on the otherwise rural landscape.

Hinds - The Prettiest Curse - Mom & Pop MusicEach time they take the stage, Madrid-bred rock band Hinds create a kind of wild magic, a feel-good free-for-all often complete with synchronized dancing and giddy crowd-surfing from the members themselves. While the band s first two albums channeled the euphoric energy of their live show in their gorgeously punchy take on garage-rock, their latest full-length adds entirely new texture to their sound. Produced by Jenn Decilveo (The Wombats, Ben Platt and Anne-Marie), The Prettiest Curse finds the band letting their imaginations run more freely than ever, even as they share some of their most emotionally heavy material to date. The Prettiest Curse takes its title from the sometimes-daunting experience of giving your soul to rock-and-roll. In the making of The Prettiest Curse, Hinds devised a brilliantly unpredictable vocabulary for communicating their most painful feelings. Unfolding in frenetic guitar riffs and buzzing basslines, powerful drumming and delicate piano work, the album endlessly delivers massively catchy melodies and vocals that growl and sigh with equal ferocity. The effect of all that unrestrained expression is fantastically dizzying, made even more so by Hinds constant back-and-forth between their native tongue and English.

The Ghost Inside - The Ghost Inside - EpitaphThe Ghost Inside is a Los Angeles-based hardcore band. They began as a group of friends in El Segundo, CA united by their shared passion for bands in the hardcore scene. The group stands for authenticity, dedication, perseverance and the most literal adherence to the core values behind their craft. Sonically, the group places equal emphasis on deeply personal vocals, urgent riffing and pile-driving breakdowns within the framework of their heavily melodic modern hardcore.

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Sondre Lerche - Patience - Sondre Lerche LLCNorwegian indie-pop auteur Sondre Lerche has returned with his most ambitious and eclectic work to date in the form of his ninth studio album, Patience. Written over 6 years, and recorded mainly in Norway, the inspiration came from ambient music, running marathons and a quest for serenity. At 16, Lerche’s melodic debut, Faces Down, won a Best Newcomer Norwegian Grammy; it was followed by Two Way Monologue. Patience gives homage to these early works but with wisdom he’s gained over the years.

Norah Jones - Pick Me Up Off The Floor - Blue Note RecordsNorah Jones ’ seventh solo studio album Pick Me Up Off The Floorfeatures collaborators from Brian Blade to Jeff Tweedy, and grew out of her acclaimed singles series of the past 2 years as the songs she hadn’t yet released unexpectedly congealed into an album of tremendous depth and beauty connected by the sly groove of her piano trios, lyrics that confront loss and portend hope, and a mood that leans into darkness before ultimately finding the light.

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Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne - Go, Just Do It! - Stony Plain MusicGo, Just Do It!, Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne's newest album (June 12 on Stony Plain Records), finds the Boogie Woogie Hall of Famer applying his tremendous talent to an energetic recording of top-shelf good time blues. The album is 13 tracks of originals which include Kenny's arrangement of two Percy Mayfield songs and one by JJ Cale. Showcasing the magnificent horns of Jerry Cook and Vince Mai, harmonica player Sherman Doucette and Grammy-winning vocalist Diane Schuur, the album will also feature Maple Blues winning vocalist Dawn Tyler Watson, Julie Masi of Juno Award-winning group The Parachute Club and Cory Spruell (aka SeQuaL) rappin' on ''I don't want to be the President.'' Legendary blues piano master Kenny ''Blues Boss'' Wayne was inducted on August 9, 2017 into the Boogie Woogie Piano Hall of Fame in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is hailed by Living Blues Magazine for his six-decade career of bringing the piano back to the front ranks of contemporary blues. This Juno Award winner and multi-Maple Blues Award winner is at the forefront of modern day blues piano.

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John Scofield/Steve Swallow/Bill Stewart - Swallow Tales - ECMGuitarist John Scofield celebrates the music of his friend and mentor Steve Swallow in an outgoing and spirited recording, made "old school" style in just one day in New York in March 2019. "I love these songs", says Scofield of the selection of Swallow compositions explored here. The rapport between Scofield and Swallow is evident in every moment. Behind the drum kit, Bill Stewart, a close associate of Scofield's since the early 90s, is alert to all the implications of the interaction.

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.

The White Buffalo - On The Widow's Walk - SpinefarmThe White Buffalo is Jake Smith: singer, song-writer, guitarist, teller of stories; an artist whose voice – an emotive timber-shakin’ baritone – seems directly linked to a greater truth; an artist who will not be swayed by fashion or restricted by genre. And now, The White Buffalo releases the new studio album, ‘On The Widow's Walk’ – an 11 song, loosely linked collection of dark thrills produced by Shooter Jennings, who also plays piano and keys.

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Jaime Wyatt - Neon Cross - New West RecordsIf there’s one lesson to be gleaned from Jaime Wyatt's latest album,Neon Cross, it’s that life goes on. And through it all—good times and bad, dreaming and desperation, there is truth. When it came to capturing that truth on tape, Wyatt had some assistance from Shooter Jennings, who produced Neon Cross. Together, she and Jennings boldly color outside the country lines, taking a wide-lens sonic and stylistic approach to the songs on Neon Cross.

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Kip Moore - Wild World - MCA NashvilleMulti-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Kip Moore’s highly anticipated fourth studio album Wild World is released this week. Co-writing 12 of the album’s 13 insightful tracks, he navigates the search to find a place and purpose. Throughout the album, that search is revealed in deeply personal terms, with Kip even co-producing the set. The weathered heartland-rock sound Moore has embraced gets its emotional volume pumped up, recorded live with a full band. CD includes a free poster offer, valid thru 12/31/20.

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Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners - AntiThe buzz around Christian Lee Hutson started in earnest in 2018 after he began his collaborative friendship with singer Phoebe Bridgers. Hutson co-wrote songs with Bridgers for both the EP of supergroup boygenius (ft. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus) and her 2019 release with Conor Oberst, Better Oblivion Community Center. The emerging folk artist received further critical attention after Bridgers invited him to Eaux Claires Festival last July, where he performed a solo set and earned praise from festival host Bon Iver. Eventually, Bridgers asked if she could produce an album for him. Engineered and mixed by Joseph Lorge (Blake Mills, Perfume Genius), the forthcoming release also features contributions from Bright Eyes pianist Nathaniel Walcott. To merely call Christian Lee Hutson an old soul would be to deny the vibrancy of his sound. Hutson writes songs that the SF Bay Guardian describes as, "... Foreboding, bluesy love ballads laden with longing nostalgia." For Fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Elliott Smith and Bright Eyes.

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Rush - Permanent Waves: 40th Anniversary - MercuryCelebrating 40 years of Rush's Permanent Waves, deemed the poignant moment the band reinvented themselves and their sound. The 3LP Deluxe Edition features original vinyl packaging with a newly designed gatefold jacket for the two discs of live bonus tracks (from the 1980 World Tour). With a 20-page booklet of reimagined artwork by original designer Hugh Syme & unreleased band archive photos. Housed in a slipcase. Features hits like "The Spirit Of Radio" and the cinematic "Jacob's Ladder". Also Available 2CD, Super Deluxe Box Set.

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.

Due to the current circumstances RSD 2020 has once again had to adapt and here is the latest information from Record Store Day:

Since 2008, Record Store Day has grown into the world’s largest single-day music event, shining a light on the culture of the indie record store across the globe. In 2020, that world is different, so Record Store Day will be too. RSD is now scheduled to be celebrated with special, properly distanced release dates on Saturdays in August, September and October.

Record Store Day will look very different this year, but supporting indie record stores may be more important than ever. We don't know what sort of rules will be in place, or what sort of gatherings people will be in the mood for this year, so we're focusing on the music and getting the really great titles on the RSD Official List this year into the stores and into your hands, in the most financially and socially responsible way.

The titles on the RSD 2020 Official List, launched on March 5th, will be released at participating record stores on one of these three RSD Drops: August 29th, September 26th, and October 24th. The new version of The List, with newly assigned RSD Drops dates will launch on June 1 so check back here for a look at when you'll be able to pick up the titles on your RSD 2020 wishlist at your local record store.

Pearl Jam - Gigaton - Monkeywrench RecordsPearl Jam release their much-anticipated eleventh studio album, Gigaton. It marks the band's first studio album since 2013. "Making this record was a long journey," explains Mike McCready. "It was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption." 2020 officially marks 30 years of Pearl Jam performing live, with over 85 million albums sold worldwide and a 2017 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Kanye West - JESUS IS KING - Def JamJESUS IS KING is the ninth studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on October 25, 2019, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. The album follows a Christian theme, with West describing it as "an expression of the gospel."

Lilly Hiatt - Walking Proof - New West RecordsLilly Hiatt felt lost. She’d just returned home from the better part of a year on tour in support of her acclaimed third album, Trinity Lane, and, stripped of the daily rituals and direction of life on the road, she found herself alone with her thoughts for the first time in what felt like ages. So Hiatt did what’s always come most natural to her in times of questioning and uncertainty: she picked up a guitar. Over the course of the ensuing winter, she wrote new music that grappled with her sense of self and place in the world, reckoning with issues that had been bubbling beneath the surface of her subconscious in some cases for years. The result is Walking Proof, Hiatt’s fourth and most probing collection to date. The record walks the line between Hiatt’s rough, rock and roll exterior and her tender, country roots. Lilly Hiatt’s not feeling so lost these days, and with Walking Proof, she’s crafted a roadmap to share with the rest of us.

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Tesla - Five Man London Jam - Hip-O RecordsTesla visited the iconic Abbey Road Studios for a one-night musical event, performing songs from their legendary arsenal including "Love Song" and "What You Give" along with their classic covers of "Signs" and "We Can Work It Out." Additionally, for the first time ever, the band performed the track "California Love Song," from their latest studio album, Shock. The performance was recorded and filmed in 4K HD, bringing forth Tesla's live album, Five Man London Jam.

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Brian Fallon - Local Honey - Lesser Known RecordsThe lead singer of beloved heartland-punk band The Gaslight Anthem, Brian Fallon steps away from that sound and into a stripped-down Americana space on his third solo album, Local Honey. Produced by Grammy-award winning producer Peter Katis (The National, Frightened Rabbit, Death Cab for Cutie), the album showcases Fallon's songwriting in small vignettes, from a loving devotional for his daughter to a vengeful murder ballad.

Cavetown - Sleepyhead - Sire RecordsCavetown's major-label debut album, Sleepyhead, out this week, on Sire Records. Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Skinner himself in the bedroom of his new London apartment (some things never change), the 11-song collection is set to prove to the world why he’s become not just a cornerstone of the bedroom pop community, but a torchbearer for the next generation of his genre. By focusing less on the more imperceptible aspects of his productions, Skinner’s distilled his energy on Sleepyhead into what really moves fans: the songs themselves, occasionally lighthearted, largely poignant – but always authentically him. The album is awash in ambient indie-rock nuance, creaking acoustic guitars and Skinner’s poetic lyricism, all steadied by his tranquil melodies and reassuring timbre. Some 250 million Spotify plays and 1.15 million YouTube subscribers after launching Cavetown, he’s a radically different person than he was just a few years ago. “Basically every aspect of my life has changed since putting out Lemon Boy,” he admits. “Often when change happens, it’s so slow that you don’t notice it. The speed at which it’s happened has made me appreciate everything.”

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Jessie Reyez - Before Love Came To Kill Us - IslandGrammy-nominated singer/songwriter, Jessie Reyez unveils her debut album Before Love Came To Kill Us. The album includes the RIAA Gold-certified single "Imported" with 6LACK and capitalizes on the release of the acclaimed Kiddo and Being Human in Public EPs which have garnered more than 750 million combined global streams to date. The Toronto-born, Colombian-bred powerhouse has racked up award nominations and wins including Juno Awards (Breakthrough Artist winner), MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards, iHeart Radio Music Awards and more. She's also flexed her songwriting prowess on records for other artists including Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa's "One Kiss", Calvin Harris & Sam Smith "Promises", Normani's "Slow Down" and more. Her list of collaborators include Eminem, Daniel Caesar, 6LACK, Kehlani, Karol G, Tainy, Pink $weats and more.

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Half Waif - The Caretaker - AntiHalf Waif Nandi Rose is on her own again, and three songs into her forthcoming album The Caretaker, the singer, songwriter and producer declares her fearlessness: "Baby don't worry about me, I don't worry about you." Here, on "Ordinary Talk," Rose meditates on the heaviness of ordinary moments, the constellation of tears and chores and self-doubt and small talk that comprise being a person, accompanied by her most cinematic, pulsing arrangements to date. It's an apt introduction to The Caretaker, an ax-lbum that negotiates the space between working alone and with others, between isolation and connection. The result is her boldest work yet. Over the course of eleven songs, Rose creates the lush world of a humid summer night, dreaming of and reaching for a season in which she is her "best self."

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Parkway Drive - Viva The Underdogs - EpitaphThe film, 'Viva The Underdogs' features over a decade of behind the scenes personal footage, coupled with unprecedented access to the bands most explosive live tours and world's biggest music festivals. The film gives an incredibly honest and candid look at Parkway Drive's journey; the good-times, battles, triumphs, and sacrifices. "Viva The Underdogs" the album features 14 tracks; 11 of their biggest songs recorded live at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, as well as three of their most popular tracks re-imagined, recorded in German and one with a feature from German Rap artist, Casper.

M. Ward - Migration Stories - Anti"It was in winter 18/19 - I flew to Montreal to meet with Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry, Craig Silvey and Teddy Impakt at Le Studio Du Arcade Fire. It was a fine time with a dream team in a city I love. Winter in beautiful Quebec. Les semaines les plus froides de ma vie. I had a bunch of demos that were inspired by migration stories I had heard from friends or read in newspapers while on tour in Europe and North America. I remember being struck by the similarities of the stories I heard from both continents and how really only the names of the powerful and the powerless had changed - thinking, "Is this the future? Is this our future?" Some time went by, the stories wove together and I remember them now closer to characters in a dream of how people could treat each other than any kind of front-page news realism. I think music subconsciously - whether writing or listening - is a filter for me - helping to process all the bad news into something new to build from - some records to me are like self-fulfilling prophecies - visualizing change to wish something into being - those records inspired this one." - M. Ward

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Sam Hunt - SOUTHSIDE - MCA NashvilleMulti-Platinum-selling country star Sam Hunt announces his eagerly-awaited sophomore album SOUTHSIDE, releasing April 3 on MCA Nashville. The album will feature his current Top 5-and-climbing radio hit “Kinfolks,” the introspective ballad “Sinning With You,” and more from the award-winning artist. SOUTHSIDE will be the first full album since Hunt’s critically acclaimed, GRAMMY-nominated, Triple Platinum-selling debut, Montevallo.

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Nina Simone - Fodder On My Wings - VerveRecorded in 1982, not long after she moved to Paris, Fodder On My Wings was one of Nina Simone's favorite albums. In addition to having written the music and lyrics for all but one of the album's 13 songs, the back cover proudly states that she 'arranged, conducted and conceived' all of them. Originally recorded for a small French label and only sporadically available since its initial release, Fodder On My Wings is a lesser known but important part of Nina's musical history. The album contains deeply personal songs, including 'I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive' and 'I Was Just A Stupid Dog To Them', as well a searing lyrical improvisation about the death of her father on 'Alone Again, Naturally'. Recorded at a time when Nina was feeling rejuvenated by her surroundings and the African musicians she met in Paris, Fodder On My Wings is an essential Nina Simone album that is making a long overdue reappearance.

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.